A Samoan case of chromoblastomycosis caused by Cladophialophora ajelloi.

A case of chromoblastomycosis from American Samoa was studied. Histopathological examination of the biopsy material from the lesion revealed the presence of thick-walled, dematiaceous, muriform cells characteristic of chromoblastomycosis. Detailed mycological study of the dematiaceous mould isolated from the biopsy material disclosed that the fungus not only produced long, branched chains of holoblastic conidia similar to those of Cladosporium carrionii, but that many of the terminal and intercalary catenulate, holoblastic conidia had been converted into flask-shaped phialides with flaring collarettes that produced ovate to fusiform phialoconidia. These phialides were morphologically similar to those formed by members of the genus Phialorphora. The Samoan case is the second known case of chromoblastomycosis caused by Cladophialophora ajelloi Borelli.